POLICE: 17-year-old lured to his death

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RICHLAND -- RPD spent Independence Day investigating the city's second homicide in a month. This was a fatal shooting in the desert off Highway 240 past the landfill. One man is dead, and two suspects are booked in the Benton County Jail.

"I was very surprised," said Richland resident Doug Cook.

Nearby resident Doug Cook lives just a couple streets down from the shooting. He says Horn Rapids is usually peaceful. It's why the early-morning incident came as a shock.

"We have an occasional burglary or some minor vandalism and things, but this is something on the severe side of things for us," added Cook.

Police say Joshua Hunt, 19, and John Young, 18, lured Joshua Snapp, 17, to the desert off 240 with the idea they'd be smoking marijuana. Officers say Hunt and Young confronted Snapp about being a police informant and money they were owed.

Snapp was shot. Police tell KEPR Hunt and Young then fled to Benton City where they had a gas station clerk call 911 and report a fatal shooting.

Deputies rushed to the station to take the pair into custody.

Richland Police stepped in shortly after and found Snapp's body near Beardsley and 240, close to the Horn Rapids ORV Park.

"Right now, we're investigating everything that has to do with a crime scene. Nailing down the exact time it occurred is part of the investigation. Everything about behaviors the people were exhibiting before and after," said Richland Police Captain Mike Cobb.

Police want to make it clear, Snapp's body was not dumped at the site, the Beardsley and 240 location is where the shooting actually happened. The coroner say Snapp was shot in the chest and head.

Officials spent the day surveying the stretch of land, closing the pavement to outsiders, coning off where his body lay and taking measurements.

"It's relatively rare. Fortunately in Richland, we don't have that many shootings, but this is our second homicide this year," said Captain Cobb.

A fact that residents like Doug cling to.

"Hopefully there won't be a kind of repeat or repercussion from it," said Cook.

The two suspects are charged with first degree murder. The investigation is continuing. This is the second murder in Richland in about a month's time. The first was in early June. A man is charged with murder for the death of a nine-month old there.

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